Heel



April 1930. w. E. FORRESTER 1,756,456

HEEL

Filed Aug. 27, 1929 Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" Application filed Au usta-z, 1929. serial no. 888,702.

While heels madeof rubber and various compositions resembling rubber are quite generally worn and are as a rule more durable fl than leather such rubber and composition heels, as well as leather heels, become worn and misshapen in a short time so that they are unsightly and do not afiord a suitable support for the foot. The present invention relates to a rubber heel construction whereby such deterioration by wear, particularly at the edges of the heels, is largely overcome and by a comparatively slight replacement wholly eliminated The improved heel includes a rotary socket enclosin a disc, the bottom surface of the disc comprismg the main wearing surface of the heel. The disc is preferably secured in the socket so as to'prevent rotation thereof rela-' tively to the socket and the socket is frictionally held against rotation, being rotated with the disc therein by means of a spanner or other suitable tool, such rotation being effect ed by the wearer whenever the replacement of a worn surface at or near the edge of the disc is required or will prove effective.

The invention relates not only to the rotatable' socket with spanner holes or other means for engagement whereby a tool could be employed in angularly locating or relo-' eating the disc and socket, but also to the manner of securing the socket or ring to provide for such rotative adjustment, and to the form of the disc which causes it to completely cover the ring socket in which it is mounted preventing the exposure of the metal edges of the socket to contact with the floor.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a rubber heel embodying the features of my invention in the preferred form.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan of the heel, Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the heel with the rotating disc removed.

h Iiigure 4 is a side elevation of the complete Figure 5' moved.

Referrin to the drawings by numerals, each of WhlCll is used to indicatethe same or similar parts in the different figures,'the heel construction in the preferred form shown comprises a leather bottom lift 1, secured to the shoe. The rubber heel member 2, which 1s secured to the leather lift -1,,is moulded in a single piece and contains adepression 4 in which is seated the revolving socket 5, the same being secured therein in any suitable manner preferably as shown. This socket 5 so is an elevation of the disc reconsists of a rin member 6 and a base bearing member 7 t e ring member 6 is preferably concentric with the rear portion 8 of the heel, the peripheral bottom edge adjacent the tread surface of the heel being closely coinci- 55 dent withthe rear bottom edge of the heel. In theform of the invention shown the base bearing member 7 attaches the ring to the lift 1 and serves as a bearing about which the ring is rotated, the rotative adjustment of the cap which carries the disc to be described being most conveniently accomplished by means of a spanner which engages the spanner holes 9 in theupper end of the ring, and to prevent rotation of the disc relatively to the ring this latter is provided with inwardly projecting pins or lugs 10 which are preferably formed by stamping them from the sheet metal of which the ring is formed. 5

The ring or cup ring 6-in the preferred form is more or less in depth, being preferably outwardly inclined toward the tread surface of the heel so as to form a short frustum of a cone and having an inwardly proj ecting peripheral shoulder or ledge 12 at the bottom. This shoulder in the form of the invention shown is engaged b the outer peripheral offset edge 14 of the earing plate 7 which, in the preferred form shown, is stepped or shouldered at the edge at 15 to form said ofi'set edge portion 1 1 which overlaps the ledge or shoulder 12 on the bottom of the ring.

The base plate holds the ring socket 5 and it may be secured in any suitable manner. Preferably it is held by means of nails or screws 16 driven through the rubber heel to and into the leather lift 1 through the edge portion 14: and inside the edge of the shoulder 12 so as to prevent engagement wlth the latter and consequent interference with the rotation of the ring.

As already pointed out, the cup or socket 5 forms an inclosure for the rub er disc 17 which forms the downwardly disposed rubber tread surface 23 which is part of the bottom surface of the heel. As shown, this rubber'disc has a central bottom seating portion 18 comprising the thickest portion of the disc. This rests directly on the corresponding central upwardly disposed surface 18 of the plate 7. Surrounding this portion 18 is a raised peripheral surface 19 stepped above the surface 18. This bears on the raised peripheral surface 14 of the plate '2' and the inclined surface 20 of the disc bears against the inclined frusto-conical surface 21 of the ring. Preferably the top edge of the disk covers the top edge 22 of the ring and for this purpose the disc is provided with a peripheral bead 24. The rubber heel 2 may be of the ordinary construction except as to the provision of the socket 5 as already described with the disc 17 therein and in the form of the invention shown this heel is in addition to the means already described secured by means of nails 25, the rubber disc being secured to the heel and in the socket 5 by means of a central nail or screw 26 which passes through the disc and is preferably seated in the leather portion 27 of the lift. The lugs or pins prevent rotation of the disc relatively to the ring and the single screw 26 holds the disc in position in the ring so that it may be rotated with and by means of the ring but not otherwise.

The operation of the heel can be easily understood from vthe foregoing description. hen first installed the heel is of the perfected form as desired, but a few weeks wear is apt to remove the edge portions of the disc, bringing the metal edge 22 of the ring in contact with the floor.

To avoid this, the ring 6 carrying the disc 17 is rotated to move the worn portion from the outer edge of the heel to the inside area 28 adjacent the forward part of the heel where it is protected by the rib 29 formed on the main body of the heel for this purpose. By this rotating disc a new and unworn portion of the rubber which fully covers the edge 22 of the ring 16 is presented at the rear and sides so that the heel takes on new life and may be thus worn two or three times the ordinary period. If further use of the heel becomes desirable, a new disc may be installed by merely removing the screw 26, withdrawing the disc and inserting a new one, such disc being an article of commerce to be sold by authorized dealers with or separately from the heel for replacement purposes only.

1 have thus described specifically and in detail a rubber or other heel construction and the manner of constructing, operating and using the same, 1n order that the invention and the manner of applying and using it may be fully understood, however, the specific terms herein are used descriptively rather than in a limitin sense, the scope of the in= vention being de ned in the claims.

What if claim as new and desire to secure by Letters. Patent is:

1. The combination in a rubber heel hav= ing a circular socket, of a ring fitting in said socket, means for holding the ring permitting and restraining its rotation, a rubber disc in said ring presenting a bottom surface which serves as the tread'surface of the heel, said ring having means for engagement by a tool to rotate the ring and disc, and means for securing the disc against rotation relatively to the ring,-

2. A heel having a circular socket, a ring fitting in said socket and having an inwardly projecting portion at the bottom of the socket, a rubber disc fitting in said ring and supported on the bottom of the socket, and means for securing the disc in the position described, permitting it to rotate, but restraining its rotation, the edge of the ring adjacent the tread surface being deflected outwardly to a diameter substantially equaling that of the heel and thedisc having an outwardly projecting edge portion taking over the edge of the ring.

3. A. heel having a circular socket, a ring fitting in said socket and having an inwardly projecting portion at the bottom of the socket, a rubber disc fitting in said ring and supported on the bottom of the socket, and means for securing the disc in the position described, the edge of the ring adjacent the tread surface of the heel being deflected outwardly substantially to the outer edge of the heel and the disc having an outwardly projecting edge portion taking over the edge of the ring, the heel having a raised rib adjoining the socket, substantially in the plane of the tread surface of the disc, which forms a portion of the tread surface of the heel.

4. A heel having a circular socket, a ring fitting in said socket and having an inwardly projecting portion at the bottom of the socket, a plate forming the bottom of the socket, means securing the plate to the heel, a rubber disc fitting in said ring and supported on said plate, and means for securing the disc in the position described, permitting it to rotate, but restraining its rotation relatill! 

